


The Art of Courting

by Faster_Than_the_Speed_of_Sound



Series: Art Forms [1]
Category: Supernatural
Genre: Alpha Dean Winchester, Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Alternate Universe - Bakery, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Angst with a Happy Ending, Annoyed Castiel (Supernatural), Coffee Shop Owner Castiel (Supernatural), Courting Rituals, Dean Winchester Has Self-Worth Issues, Fire, Fireman Dean, John Winchester Being an Asshole, M/M, Omega Castiel (Supernatural), Omega Castiel/Alpha Dean Winchester, Past Abuse, Pining Dean Winchester, Sweet Dean Winchester, True Mates
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-14
Updated: 2020-06-30
Packaged: 2021-03-03 19:34:12
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 9,047
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24720886
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Faster_Than_the_Speed_of_Sound/pseuds/Faster_Than_the_Speed_of_Sound
Summary: When Alpha Dean Winchester goes to get some coffee one morning for a fellow fireman, he doesn't expect to meet his true mate. He also doesn't expect his true mate to be a fiery, take-no-shit Omega who apparently doesn't believe him and doesn't like him. At all.Still, Winchesters never quit and Dean is determined to win the Omega's affections.Can Dean eventually win Castiel's heart?
Relationships: Castiel/Dean Winchester
Series: Art Forms [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1787338
Comments: 118
Kudos: 472





	1. Chapter 1

**One**

Dean Winchester was woken at an ungodly hour by his alarm.

It shrieked from its position on the floor. He groaned and slapped around at his bedside table. It was empty, of course, and he only succeeded at smacking his lamp off the edge.

Cursing, the Alpha slid out of bed and fell to his knees, reaching blindly for the still-shrieking alarm. Once he’d managed to turn it off, he closed his eyes in exhaustion.

The red glowing numbers read 4:00. Dean was tempted to go back to sleep, but the cold of his room and the fact that he was already out of bed made him stand instead and flip on the light in his bedroom.

He had placed the alarm clock strategically, after being late one too many times. He had a habit of turning off his alarm and then falling straight back asleep, then waking hours later with no memory of ever actually turning the damn thing off.

Dean stood and made his bed with meticulous care, replaced his lamp on his bedside table, and blearily dressed in the clothes he’d set out the night before. He stumbled out of his room and bypassed the kitchen, instead heading for the garage.

Once he had arrived and flicked on the light, he felt better and more awake. He passed his Baby on the way to his little makeshift gym, patting her hood affectionately as he went.

The two car garage allowed for him to have a rack and a weight set, along with an exercise bike and a large floor to ceiling shelf where he stored whatever he needed that he couldn’t put in the house.

Dean yawned tiredly and sleepily grabbed his phone from where it was charging next to the weight set. He had two charging stations: one in the house and one in the garage.

Popping his earbud in, Dean flicked on his music.

“Blackened” by Metallica came on, and he immediately became more awake. 

Dean eyed the weight set, running through his workout for the morning in his mind. Then he grabbed a kettlebell and set to work.

Approximately 45 minutes later, Dean set down the last weight, gasping for air. He was pouring sweat, and his limbs were trembling.

He forced himself to swallow the last remnants of the water bottle he’d had next to his phone the night before and stumbled back into his house.

Dean took a quick shower, arms shaking as he washed his hair. He must have taken longer than usual, because when he got out and glanced at his watch, it read 05:36.

“Shit,” Dean hissed. “Shit, shit, _shit_.”

He hurried to pull on some pants and a dark _Lawrence Fire_ T-shirt, then sprinted through his house to snatch his keys and hop in his Baby.

With barely fifteen minutes to spare, the ’67 Impala exited the simple suburban house and rumbled out into the street. It was early, the sun still hours from rising and lighting what promised to be a very bright and sunny November day.

Dean _might_ have broken a few laws getting to the firehouse, but he made it in time. Hurrying into the station, he said hello to Jo and waved to Donna before ducking into his office to look through what he had to do for the day.

A few minutes later, Benny poked his head in.

“Hey, Benny. What can I do for you?” Dean asked. The office filled with the pleasant spicy scent of Benny, like something cooking in the kitchen.

“Mornin’, _cher_. How’re ya doin’?” Benny asked.

“Pretty good. You?”

“Fantastic. Listen, can you get me some coffee? I have to train a new recruit this mornin’, and I don’t have the time to go grab a cup for myself. I’ll give ya enough for you too,” Benny offered.

“Deal,” Dean replied, checking his watch. “I didn’t get any coffee this morning either.” _Or breakfast. . ._

“Here. I go to a place called The Seraph, it’s a real nice shop down the street,” Benny said, handing Dean a twenty.

“Thanks, man. What do you want?”

“Medium coffee, black with three spoonfuls of sugar,” Benny replied. He winked at Dean. “Thanks, _cher_. You’re a lifesaver.”

With that, the blond Alpha ducked out of his office and hurried away, presumably to meet the new recruit.

Dean got up and stretched, figuring that if the shop was just down the street he could probably walk just fine.

It ended up being around a five minute walk, which wasn’t bad. It was still freezing out, but Dean didn’t mind the nip of the wind through his uniform jacket.

The Seraph turned out to be a small, simple-looking coffee shop on the corner of the street. Dean caught a faint whiff of something sweet, and a flood of saliva immediately filled his mouth. God, that smelled _incredible_.

He entered the shop, blinking and nearly falling to his knees as the smell hit him with a blast of blessedly warm air.

God, what _was_ that? It smelled like baking pie and fresh bread and sunshine and honey and-

“Close the door, will you? You’re letting all the hot air out!” someone shouted.

Dean blinked.

He realized that he’d just been standing in one place like a dumbass. He quickly shut the door behind him, murmuring apologies to no one in particular. In fact, there was no one else in the shop but him.

_Fucking idiot_ , he chided himself.

Dean looked up and nearly died again. 

He found himself staring into ocean blue eyes. They were gorgeous, catching the soft light of the lamps set tastefully around the shop perfectly. They were framed by large dark lashes and tousled dark brown hair.

_Okay, nobody here but me and this incredibly hot barista. Fuck._

“You just going to stand there?”

Dean swallowed and blinked again. He felt a flutter in his chest, something warm and gentle and _good_.

“Hi,” he managed.

The Omega behind the counter rolled his eyes. “Hi. Are you going to order something?”

Dean’s eyes flicked from the Omega’s beautiful face to his name tag. _Castiel_.

Suddenly, he was very sure that the amazing scent was coming from this Omega. He was also very, very sure about something else, something that sounded incredibly stupid but could be the only explanation. . .

“My name’s Dean,” Dean managed.

_Real smooth, dumbfuck_.

“Hello, Dean,” the Omega replied, sounding thoroughly annoyed.

Dean swallowed hard at the sound of his name spoken in that gravel-deep voice. He blinked, gathering himself for a moment, and then- “You’re my true mate,” he blurted.

_What the fuck? What the fuck was that, you fucking idiot?_

Dean winced at his inner monologue. Unfortunately, the Omega seemed just as unimpressed with him as he was with himself.

“Wow. I haven’t heard that one before,” he deadpanned. “If you’re not going to buy anything, please leave.”

Dean blinked, realizing with a flash of horror that the Omega-his Omega-was walking away. Desperately, he blurted the first thing that came to mind.

“You smell like bread and honey.”

Castiel froze, halfway from the register to the door that led to the back of the shop.

Dean slammed his mouth shut, already beating himself up about what he’d just said. Really? _You smell like bread and honey?_ The guy probably already knew that, he was so fucking _stupid_ , how was he supposed to-

“How the hell did you know that?”

And suddenly, Dean found an angry Omega in his face. Damn, he was fast. Dean realized, somewhere in the back of his mind, that the Omega was shorter than him. It sent a small thrill of happiness through him, though it was quickly squashed by the scent of burning bread. The Omega, Castiel, was very angry.

“I-uh-I. . . uh, I don’t-“

“I’m wearing extra strength blockers, fucker,” the Omega growled. He looked furious, blue eyes alight with rage. “You’d better start talking.”

Dean swallowed, fighting the urge to cower. He hated making people angry. “I don’t know, man. I’m sorry,” he said, voice shakier than he would have liked. “I just. . . I can just-I can just tell.”

Castiel glared at him for what felt like forever, lip curled in a snarl. Dean swallowed, taking a step back despite his father shouting in the back of his head that _Alphas are strong, they don’t take shit from anybody, you’re a coward-_

“Who are you?”

Dean blinked, broken from his thoughts by the Omega’s lovely gravel voice. “Dean Winchester. I-I’m a fireman. I swear, I don’t mean any harm, man. You just smell amazing.”

He winced, realizing how the last sentence sounded. Castiel didn’t seem very impressed either.

“Yeah, lots of Alphas have said that. What the fuck do you want?”

Dean swallowed, looking at the angry Omega helplessly. He had fucked this up royally, and he had no idea what to do.

“I-uh. . . I don’t know.”

The Omega rolled his eyes. “Then you’re wasting my time. If you aren’t here to buy anything, then get out. I don’t talk to pervs.”

Dean flinched a little, hurt clanging deep in his chest. He forced himself to remain steady, however, and remember why he was here.

“I, uh, did come here to buy something.”

The blue-eyed Omega snorted. “Finally. What do you want?”

“A. . . A coffee please. Medium, black, with three spoonfuls of sugar. T-To go.”

Castiel grunted and returned to his place behind the counter. He began to make the coffee, Dean still standing awkwardly in the middle of the shop. He was able to forget his awkwardness, however, when he witnessed Castiel make the coffee.

The Omega’s hands flew over the machines self-assuredly, as if he had done whatever he was doing a thousand times. He finished the coffee in mere minutes, putting it down on the counter in a neat white cup.

“$4.67,” Castiel growled, looking no less friendly than before he’d made the coffee.

Dean ducked his head, handing him the twenty. Castiel made change and handed it to him, his burnt bread scent not lessening one bit.

“Listen, dude, I’m really s-“

“Don’t bother. Just. . . leave. Please,” the Omega sighed, suddenly looking tired.

Dean nodded his assent, taking the coffee and the change and leaving the shop as fast as he could.

He returned to the fire station with his tail between his legs and his head spinning with thoughts of the coffee shop and a certain blue-eyed Omega.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Helloooooo, everyone!
> 
> It's so good to see/hear from you all again. I've already seen some new faces and old friends show up in the comments. Also, I apologize for no Author's Note on the first chapter. For some reason, if I try to do that, it ends up being for the entire fic and I don't know how to change it. :(
> 
> ANYWAY, because of that, this beginning note is going to be longer than usual. SO, to everyone who is new: hello. To everyone who has already read my fics before: hello also. ;)
> 
> This one is new! I usually don't write Omega!Cas/Alpha!Dean. I thought that particular dynamic would be better in the context of this series, and I promise that Dean will still have SOME submissive qualities (because of his past, which we'll see next chapter. :) Don't worry, I'll be back to Omega!Dean in the future.
> 
> Alright, I'm done blabbing. Enjoy the chapter. ;)

**Two**

Castiel watched as the green-eyed Alpha left his bakery, head spinning.

He tried to take a deep breath and calm himself, knowing that being angry wouldn’t help anything. He normally didn’t freak out like that, preferring to stay level-headed and sensible. The Alpha had blindsided him, though. His words had completely taken Castiel by surprise.

_You’re my true mate._

Sure, many Alphas in the past had said the same thing, usually while looking him up and down hungrily or trying to crowd him against a wall. Castiel hated them, hated the slimy feeling he got whenever they stared at him or touched him like that.

But. . . he hadn’t felt that around the green-eyed Alpha. What was his name? Devin? Dylan? Dean? 

Yes, Dean. His name was Dean. . .

He had said those words with such _conviction_. . . as if he actually believed them.

_He’s just another creep_ , Castiel thought, shaking his head. _Nothing more._

He sighed, heading into the back of the bakery with the intention of checking on the pumpkin spice muffins he’d placed in the oven that morning.

_Besides_ , a little voice whispered in the back of his head. _True mates only happen in movies and on TV. They don’t happen to real people, and certainly not to someone as ordinary as you._

Castiel pulled the muffins out, very nearly burning himself as he did. He cursed, wishing he could stop thinking about the handsome fireman for _one Goddamn second_.

Castiel put the muffins out to cool and sighed, leaning on the counter for a moment. He wished, for a moment, that Alphas didn’t exist. Or maybe that he was nondescript Beta, instead of an admittedly good-looking Omega that apparently smelled good.

That was the other thing. Castiel straightened and went to apply another layer of blockers, frowning at himself in the mirror of the small bathroom as he did. It was strange. He hadn’t scented himself all day; just the scents of a bakery. Of course, he couldn’t smell anything very well when he had his high-strength blockers on. Everyone knew that the stronger the blockers, the less you could smell.

But that damned Alpha, Dean, had said that he smelled like _bread_ and _honey_. And yeah, he did. Castiel had been told he smelled like baking bread and honey and sometimes pie. That happened on days when he was in a rush and couldn’t apply his usual layers upon layers of blockers, and the ones he had on wore off. He really had no idea how, but it seemed impossible that Dean had been able to scent him while he had his blockers on. Castiel paid good money for those, and even his Omega customers couldn’t smell him. Omegas had better noses than Alphas, it was scientifically proven. So how had Dean managed to smell him?

_Maybe he’s a major creep and he’s stalked me so much that he managed to catch me without my blockers on._

Castiel snorted at himself in the empty bakery. He was being ridiculous now. How plausible was that, really?

He sighed, resolving to forget about it and move on.

That night, Castiel locked up the bakery and drove home. It had been a successful day, despite the rocky morning. He woke early the next morning, ready to go prepare the bakery before the sun rose.

He had really made a good decision to move to the outskirts of Lawrence. There were too many big coffee shops in the center of the city, big places like Starbucks and bakeries like Krispy Kreme.

Out on the outskirts of the city, there were virtually no coffee shops and a healthy stream of customers. It also helped that Castiel was right next to Lawrence High School. The amount of teenage girls that came in after class finished, simply to watch him make coffee for hours on end, was absurd.

He had just finished the morning rush when the bell jingled.

Castiel looked up, smiling. His face immediately fell when he saw who had entered.

Dean Winchester, the green-eyed Alpha who had been haunting Castiel’s thoughts since his visit yesterday, smiled nervously.

“Hi,” he said again, a mockery of the day before.

Castiel rolled his eyes. “What do you want?” he asked, not bothering with pleasantries. There was no one else in his shop anyway to hear him being rude.

“I-uh-I saw you had pie yesterday. I wanted to try some,” the Alpha said, trying for a smile.

Castiel glared at him, acutely aware of the fact that they were alone in the shop. The Alpha, despite his awkwardness, looked to be powerfully built underneath his baggy work pants and thick jacket. Castiel knew that Alphas could get handsy, and he didn’t like to think of having to use any jiu jitsu moves on this guy.

“You wanted to try some pie,” he said disbelievingly.

“Yes.”

Castiel hissed out an annoyed breath. “What. Kind.” He was getting more and more annoyed with this guy by the minute. Why was Dean shrinking in on himself? He looked almost. . . scared. What the fuck was wrong with this Alpha?

“Apple?” the Alpha tried, sounding unsure.

Castiel yanked the sliding glass open and pulled out a random piece of pie, not really caring which. He plunked it in a takeout box, not wanting to encourage the annoying Alpha to stick around.

He closed the sliding glass and dropped the box on the counter in front of the Alpha.

“Five dollars.”

The Alpha carefully placed a twenty on the counter and said, “Keep the change.”

“Wh-“

“Thanks for the pie!”

With that, the green-eyed Alpha turned and hurried out of the store, little box of pie held in his right hand. Castiel stared after him, confusion filling his every sense. He glanced down at the twenty, then back at the empty street where the Alpha had disappeared.

Castiel sighed and went back to work.

Dean came by again the next day.

Castiel didn’t even really notice him. He was in the back, working hard on rolling out some dough for the sandwiches he was going to make for lunch the next day. He didn’t notice the bell tinkling over the door, which usually alerted him to a customer. Dean was quiet, too, so Castiel didn’t even know he was there until he came out front and noticed the large bouquet of peonies and a tag on them with a simple smiley face.

There was no doubting who they were from, nor was there any reason for Castiel to doubt what was going on. He was being courted by the green-eyed Alpha.

For some reason, it wasn’t nearly as repulsive as Castiel had assumed it would be. In fact, it was kind of. . . sweet.

All the Alphas Castiel had ever been interested in were either only trying to get into his pants or had a problem with him running his bakery. Castiel hated when that happened. Some of his customers were respectful Alphas who didn’t really care either way that there was an Omega who owned a business, but some of them did and they weren’t usually welcomed back into the shop after that.

This one was strange. This one. . . He was not only generous, but incredibly thoughtful with his gifts. And he didn’t seem to mind Castiel owning a bakery. He hadn’t made any indication of making a move on the Omega. He just. . . gave him gifts.

When Dean noticed Castiel drinking a coffee of his own out of a plastic takeout cup, he left an adorable coffee mug on the bakery counter the next day. It was sky blue with cute little bees smiling around it, fluttering their little transparent wings. Castiel secretly loved bees. He used the mug only after Dean had already come in and wouldn’t see him with it.

Besides that, there was the soft teddy bear and multiple chocolates and candies that were left on the counter, as well as flowers and even a little bracelet that looked like it had been handmade. Castiel kept that one on his bedside table. Somehow, Dean always managed to enter the bakery when Castiel didn’t notice him. 

Okay, sometimes the Omega heard the door and pretended to continue working. If it was a customer, they always called out to check that there was someone in the shop. If it was Dean, the door would chime and close a few seconds later, and there would be a new gift on the counter.

After about three weeks of this, Dean came in when Castiel was actually working. It was the middle of the rush, so the blue-eyed Omega didn’t really have time to talk, but he acknowledged the Alpha with a stiff nod when he came up to order coffee.

He pretended not to notice the flash of hurt and disappointment in the Alpha’s green eyes.

Still, Dean took a seat in the back of the bakery and waited until everything thinned out.

“Don’t you have work?” Castiel asked. He nearly winced at his own accusing tone, realizing that he sounded like a real asshole.

“I have the day off today,” Dean explained patiently, not sounding the least bit offended.

“I see,” Castiel replied, turning to wipe down the coffee machine. He stayed quiet, waiting for the Alpha to say something. 

After a moment, there was the soft clink of some money being set down on the counter. Dean looked like he was trying hard to cover up his sadness and dejection, but wasn’t quite managing it. It hurt something in Castiel’s heart to see him like that, which was ridiculous.

“I’ll go now. Thanks for the coffee,” Dean said quietly.

Castiel watched him go, shoulders slumped with defeat, blond head ducked. He fought with himself for a span of about five seconds before blurting out, “Thank you!”

Dean turned, hand on the door, and frowned. “What?”

“Thank you,” Castiel repeated, flushing a little. “Thank you for the. . . the gifts. I really appreciate the mug.”

Even if he felt like a dumbass saying it, it was all worth it when Dean’s eyes lit up and he grinned, showing bright white teeth. “You liked it?” He sounded unbearably excited, like a child on Christmas day. It was frankly adorable.

“Yes. I. . . I enjoy bees,” Castiel admitted.

Dean beamed, looking proud of himself. He was practically glowing, and Castiel wondered how often he was thanked for what he did. “That’s great! Would you-“

He cut off, that smile disappearing. Castiel frowned, taking in the sudden change in posture.

“Would I what?” he prompted.

“Nothing. Thank you for the coffee,” Dean said, trying for a smile. It came out watery and faint, and Castiel frowned even deeper.

He suddenly had the ridiculous urge to wrap his arms around Dean, assure him that it was alright and that whatever he was going to say wasn’t going to be judged in any way.

But he refrained. That would give off the wrong message. Besides, he wasn’t quite sure he wanted to know what the Alpha was going to say.

_God, I’m an asshole._

Castiel swallowed. “Bye, Dean.”

“Bye, Cas,” the Alpha replied, smiling that weak smile again. He turned and left the shop, leaving the blue-eyed Omega to stare after him in wonder.

Cas?

He glanced down at his name tag and realized that the Alpha had given him a nickname.

Instead of feeling repulsed, he felt something warm stir in his gut. Shaking his head, Castiel turned and headed into the back of the shop to drown out his thoughts in the task of kneading bread.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yay, what did you think?
> 
> I have all five chapters written out, by the way. I make myself wait three days in between posting so that I don't do something stupid like post the whole fic in one day. Trust me, I want to post as bad as you want to read. Probably more.
> 
> ANYWAY, that means that the next chapter will be posted. . . 
> 
> *struggles to do math in head*
> 
> *counts on fingers*
> 
> . . . Monday. :) See you then!


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, everybody! How are you all doing? I hope everyone is safe and happy and healthy, and that your loved ones are too. :)
> 
> It's Monday! It's also. . . 3 in the morning. Damn, I need to get some sleep. XD
> 
> This chapter is pretty short and not very happy. If you're triggered in any way by self-hating thoughts, Dean gets pretty mean with himself throughout. Don't worry, it will get better. I promise. 
> 
> I'll stop blabbing, though, and give you your chapter. I'm glad that everyone seems to be liking it so far! This has been a fun fic to write, and I already have another one-shot written for the series. ;)
> 
> Enjoy the chapter!

**Three**

On his next day off, Dean went to The Seraph to watch Castiel work the morning rush. It was far more entertaining than anything else Dean could have done. The Omega was incredibly fast and skilled. He managed the rush of customers all by himself, all with a polite smile and a sweet comment for every client.

Dean found himself smiling, watching the Omega work. When Castiel was happy, it settled something deep inside him. Every time he realized that, he always looked away and suffocated under a wave of guilt.

He felt bad, pushing himself on Castiel. It was just that he was enraptured by the Omega, by his smile and mannerism and scent.

_You’re a fucking pervert_ , John Winchester whispered in his mind. Dean brushed his father away, wanting to savor the moment.

He looked down at his hands, wincing. They were shaking. He hadn’t eaten today, and his only water had been derived from the small cup he’d swallowed down during his workout before coming here.

“Can I get you anything?” a familiar gravelly voice asked.

Dean looked up, smiling at his Omega. 

The _Omega, you dipshit. Not yours._

“Can I have a sandwich?” Dean asked, ignoring his inner monologue. “The turkey and lettuce one. Please.”

Castiel nodded. His face and scent were neutral, but his eyes held none of the distrust or dislike that they’d had before, which was a win.

Dean glanced around, realizing the rush was pretty much over. He was fine with that. Watching young high school girls ogle Castiel wasn’t his favorite pastime.

Castiel plated his order with easy grace, handing it to him when Dean stood to take it. The Alpha grinned and placed a twenty dollar bill on the counter, retreating back to his corner before the Omega could try to make change. Castiel didn’t say anything, just shook his head with a tiny, barely-there smile. 

Dean loved that smile. It was beautiful, especially when it was out in full force. Those special smiles were always reserved for other customers who Castiel knew, but Dean dreamed of being gifted with a smile like that someday.

For now, the small amused one would do. He loved that one too. It made his chest warm, made him feel good. Like he’d done something and had been worth it, had been _enough_.

It was a nice feeling.

Dean ate the sandwich as slowly and politely as he could, nearly moaning at the taste. It was amazing, and the bread was fluffy and fresh.

“This is incredible,” he called to Castiel.

The dark-haired Omega flushed with embarrassment. “It’s just bread and meat and some vegetables.”

“And it’s incredible. Do you make all of it?”

“Only the bread.”

“The bread is my favorite,” Dean admitted.

Castiel suddenly frowned at him, which was not the reaction the Alpha had been going for. He shrank into himself a little, heart sinking.

“Are you just telling me that to make me feel good?” the Omega asked accusingly.

Dean flushed. “Of course not,” he replied, feeling a little hurt. What did Castiel think he was doing? Manipulating him? “I wouldn’t do that Cas. . .tiel. I wouldn’t, I swear. I just. . . I just like your bread.”

Castiel snorted and pushed off the counter, looking upset for some reason. Dean could understand, of course. It made sense to think that Dean was trying to flatter him to get something out of him.

Still. . . It hurt.

The Alpha stared down at his half-finished sandwich, suddenly not hungry anymore.

The bread _was_ good. The whole damn sandwich was.

He sighed, his throat feeling strangely tight. He wished that he hadn’t fucked up so badly from the start of this whole thing, that he wasn’t such a piece of shit. Maybe he should stop courting Castiel after all. The Omega could definitely find someone better than him.

Dean sighed, looking to the side at where the Omega was working behind the counter, cleaning coffee machines and wiping down the display cases.

The Alpha indulged himself for a moment, watching the play of light on the planes of the Omega’s face, the smoothness of his movements and the softness of his face. When another customer came in, Castiel smiled at them with a warm, gentle smile that had something aching in Dean’s chest.

_Why can’t I be enough?_ a whiny part of him asked. _Why can’t I have that? What am I doing wrong?_

He sighed, going to leave. He waited until the customer was gone before silently placing the half-finished sandwich on the counter and leaving the coffee shop without much more than a strained goodbye.

He realized his problem as he was driving home that night.

The problem was that he was a fuck up and Castiel was an angel. The Omega deserved the best Alpha the world could provide and more. He deserved everything. And Dean. . . Dean was nothing.

Dean was also selfish.

He couldn’t stomach the idea of never seeing Castiel again. Literally. If he thought about it too hard, he vomited. He’d learned that the hard way. Three times.

It was pathetic. It was _disgusting_.

The idea of never seeing Castiel, his _Omega_ , again. . . It hurt. It hurt his chest. It made him want curl in a ball and cry. Or maybe jump off the nearest bridge.

It was ridiculous.

People were beginning to notice. Benny constantly asked him what he had on his mind, and Jo had cuffed him upside the head for not paying attention during shooting practice and trying to shoot the gun when there was no mag loaded in, damaging the hammer. Dean was a fucking wreck.

Again, it was disgusting.

He hated himself for it. But he didn’t deny it.

So if he couldn’t let Castiel go, if he couldn’t stop being so selfish, maybe he could try to do something about it.

Dean stared at the little box of chocolates in his hand. It was simple compared to the other gifts he'd left for the Omega in the past, but it had a note attached to it.

He thought that maybe it was okay. It seemed that Castiel had warmed up to him, just a little. At least he wasn’t trying to kick Dean out of his shop every chance he got.

The note was simple, carefully written in Dean’s messy handwriting.

_Would you go to dinner with me?_

He stared at it for a moment longer, wondering what the fuck he had been thinking that morning.

_God, Dean, are you so useless that you can’t even ask an Omega on a date?_

Dean shook John Winchester’s words out of his head. That was _not_ helping.

He inhaled shakily, staring up at the warmly lit windows of The Seraph.

_Come on, Dean,_ he thought to himself _. You run into burning buildings every week, and you can’t even ask a cute barista out on a little date?_

_Okay, he’s not just cute. But still, it’s not that hard. It isn’t like he smells amazing and is gorgeous and sweet and-oh, fuck. . ._

Dean sighed and looked up just as the door opened to The Seraph. Castiel poked his head out. He was smiling that small, amused smile. It made his eyes light up beautifully. “Are you just going to stand out here, or are you going to come in? It’s freezing.”

Dean swallowed and smiled weakly at the Omega. “Thanks.”

He entered, thankful for the blast of heating inside the coffee shop. It _was_ cold outside. And as always, the interior smelled heavenly. Castiel must have had a good day, because the scent of happy, content Omega filled the shop. Dean relaxed a little, figuring that if his Omega was happy, then he could be happy too.

“What’s that?” Castiel asked.

Dean handed him the box before he could think. In the next second, he snatched it away, panic running through him. “No!”

Castiel blinked at him, then at the paper that fluttered off the box in Dean’s hands and to the floor.

Dean wasn’t nearly fast enough.

The Omega reached down before he could and picked up the note, reading it in the split second it took Dean to repeat what he’d said before.

“No!”

Castiel didn’t reply to his shout, just stared at the paper in his hands. Dean waited with baited breath, heart pounding sickeningly in his temples.

God, he was such an idiot. He never should have written that damn note. Castiel obviously didn’t like him, and he had meant to court the Omega more to get him comfortable. He was rushing in too fast, he’d probably _ruined_ _it_.

_Ruined it?_ John Winchester scoffed in his head. _Why would he even consider you for a mate in the first place? A loser with an empty house and no family other than his little brother away at college, with no romantic skills to speak of and miles of daddy issues? Please._

Dean curled into himself a little. “Sorry, Cas,” he whispered. “I didn’t mean to disrespect you. I’ll go now.”

He put the box of chocolates down on the table nearest to them, unable to meet the Omega’s eyes. He missed the surprised look Castiel gave him, the way his face twisted with panic when he saw the Alpha leaving.

And Dean lost the sound of Castiel shouting, “Dean, wait!” in the sickening rush of blood in his ears. He left the shop and didn’t look back.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Poor Dean. :(
> 
> In case it wasn't clear: John is an asshole, and he works together with Dean's mean brain to make our favorite Alpha sad. It's up to a certain Omega to pull his head out of his ass and fix things now. . .
> 
> A massive thank you to everyone who commented! You make my day. ;)
> 
> See you all on Friday! Love you! :)


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, everyone! Long time no see. ;)
> 
> It's Friday! Yay! This chapter is kind of short, I'm sorry. :( But it has some important stuff, and it's a rollercoaster.
> 
> Enjoy!

**Four**

Castiel stared at the door where Dean had disappeared through, then back at the note.

It was written in careful, adorably messy handwriting. _Would you go to dinner with me?_

He’d been about to say no, he really had. He had been waiting for this, and he knew that it wouldn’t take long for Dean to make a move. He’d been prepared to reject the Alpha, albeit more gently than he probably would have a few weeks ago. But then Dean had said those magic words.

_I didn’t mean to disrespect you._

And it all clicked.

Because no, Dean wasn’t disrespecting him. He hadn’t disrespected him the entire time he’d been courting him, save for that first time, perhaps. No, Dean had been polite and understanding and sweet the entire time, always giving Castiel space and putting up with the Omega’s frankly awful attitude. He had never looked annoyed or frustrated or tried to force Castiel into anything. He’d just been patient and continued to spoil the Omega with gifts.

Castiel felt like an ass. He felt like a complete jerk. And his mind just wouldn’t stop replaying the image of Dean shrinking in on himself, almost as if he expected Castiel to hit him. He’d looked so sad, and it hurt something in Castiel’s chest.

It went beyond all reason. He wanted to wrap Dean up in his arms, wanted to curl around him and purr until the sadness went away.

Castiel sat down for a moment, wondering if it was really so strange. He’d never believed in true mates before, but maybe. . .

Absentmindedly, the Omega began to clean up the shop, planning what he was going to say the next time the green-eyed Alpha came back, if he ever did. The Omega completely forgot about the loaf of bread in the oven, so wrapped up in his own thoughts.

He didn’t realize his mistake until it was too late.

Castiel smelled the fire before he saw it.

He frowned. His senses were dulled by the scent blockers he applied. It was a side effect of how strong they were. The stronger the blockers, the more they blocked your sense of smell.

The fire had engulfed the kitchen by the time he smelled the smoke and felt the heat. 

He turned from where he was meticulously wiping down the front windows, nose wrinkling at the scent of smoke. Castiel's eyes widened as he saw the flames flickering through the door.

“Shit. Shit, shit, shit!” the Omega cried.

He ran to the phone on the register, wincing as he heard the cracking of glass. He ducked behind the counter, pressed himself against the outside of the display case, and dialed 911.

When the operator asked him what the emergency was, he told her quickly. Midway through the conversation, he made a horrible realization.

His cash, thousands of dollars of tips that he’d been saving to cash in to the bank in one trip, was back in the kitchen in a box. The burning kitchen.

Quickly getting off the call, despite the operator’s frantic demands for him to exit the building, Castiel stood and peeked at the kitchen door. 

_Most people die because of smoke inhalation, not the actual fire. Okay, I can fix that. I can do it._

Grabbing stray oven mitts, Castiel pulled his discarded sweater over his face and tied it like a bandana. He yanked the oven mitts on and threw the door open, lurching to the side when a blast of heat and fire rushed out at him.

Glass shattered somewhere, and Castiel blinked against the surging heat. He could still smell the poisonous smoke through his sweater, but he sprinted into the back room, glancing around desperately for the box with his funds in it.

There.

Castiel ran forward, ducking past great bouts of flame. He was sweating and breathing hard, the smoke getting stronger, the heat of the fire making him dizzy. But he _had_ to get that box, that box was the future of his small bakery. He was going to hire someone else, maybe expand into the next building and break down the wall, make a larger space. He was going to go far with that box, with the money inside it.

And it was going to burn.

All thoughts of insurance and smoke inhalation and death flew from Castiel’s head as he realized how important that damn box was. He grabbed it with one of his stupid oven mitts, eyes tearing up in the smoke and heat.

He turned back around, but the room spun sickeningly and before he could do anything, he had fallen to the floor, box still in his hands.

Distantly, Castiel heard sirens. He tried to get up, the tile floor blisteringly hot, but he couldn’t manage to do much more than get to his knees and fall back down again. He felt sick and dizzy, the heat suffocating. He couldn’t breathe, couldn’t think, couldn’t do much more than blink at the rising flames around him and clutch at the box like a lifeline.

He felt like he was floating, like he’d had laughing gas at the dentist’s office. His throat burned and his head pounded. Distantly, he realized that he was probably going to die.

He blinked down at the box in his arms, then up at the flames around him. That was okay. Dying was okay. Here, in his little bakery, floating out of his body. . . dying was okay. . .

It didn’t hurt anymore. He couldn’t even feel the heat. And those green eyes above him, panicked and beautiful and familiar. . .

Castiel was being lifted up, taken from the floor. It _had_ been hot, he realized. He only knew it was blisteringly hot when he felt the absence of its heat.

He realized distantly that he’d dropped the box, and that there was a blond man above him. He was all wrong, too big, eyes too blue, face rounder and different and _that wasn’t Dean. . ._

Castiel closed his eyes against the tears streaming down his face. He couldn’t see very well, and suddenly he was being placed on something cool and hard.

He heard a loud crack like a gunshot. Someone shouted and another person screamed.

Castiel lolled his head to the side in time to see the entire kitchen cave in, fire crackling and licking hungrily at the wooden beams.

Then everything went dark.

Waking was like rising through water.

The ascent was gentle and smooth. Slowly, senses became less dulled and sound rang into clarity like bubbles rising to the surface of the water.

Castiel opened his eyes.

Machines beeped all around him, and two doctors conversed in quiet tones off to the left. He tried to open his mouth, which felt as dry as a desert, and managed a crackling, awful noise.

They turned to see him, and the one Beta doctor grabbed a bottle of water and held it to his lips.

The water felt amazing, even though his throat ached like a motherfucker. Castiel winced as he swallowed, spluttering a little before the doctor took the bottle away.

“How are you feeling, Mr. Novak?”

“Like I got hit by a truck,” Castiel replied honestly. His voice was raspy and awful, and the doctors winced in sympathy.

“You nearly died of smoke inhalation, Mr. Novak. Your scent blockers stopped you from realizing how much smoke you were breathing in. You’re very lucky you’re alive.”

Castiel wanted to bitch that it didn’t _feel_ that way, but he suddenly remembered and sat up in bed, wincing at the aching of his body. “Dean. Where’s Dean?”

The doctors glanced at each other. “The fireman? Dean Winchester?”

“Yes. He was. . . He was in the kitchen when it collapsed. Where is he? I need to-need to-“ Castiel broke off into a coughing fit, sounding like he was hacking his lungs out.

A doctor handed him the water again, looking grave. Castiel choked a little at their expressions when he cleared his eyes of the involuntary tears from his coughing.

_No, no, he can’t be dead, he can’t be dead, he can’t be-_

“Mr. Winchester is alive, but he sustained some serious injuries,” the male doctor told Castiel. The Omega relaxed only minutely, still obviously on edge. The doctor sighed. “He got crushed by a support beam. As well as sustaining severe burns, he also twisted his right knee badly and broke his spine in several places.”

“Is he okay?” Castiel asked. It was a stupid question. Obviously Dean wasn’t, but he didn’t want to hear that. He wanted to hear that Dean was okay, wanted to hear that he was safe.

“We don’t know, Mr. Novak. He hasn’t woken, if that’s what you’re wondering. He’s alive. But it’s too early to tell whether or not he’ll fully heal,” the male doctor replied. He shook his head sadly.

Castiel sat back, feeling sick.

_This is all my fault._

“You should get some rest, Mr. Novak. We called your brother and he’s on his way here from New York, but he won’t be here for a few hours. You need to heal,” the female Beta told him.

“You’ll tell me when Dean wakes up?” Castiel asked.

The doctors glanced at each other, then nodded. “We’ll keep you updated. Seeing as you’re his true mate, you have a right to know.”

Castiel relaxed into the pillows, exhausted. He wanted to see Dean, but he knew that asking would be useless. There was no way they’d let him see the Alpha in his state.

Still, the doctor’s words rang around in Castiel’s head. _Seeing as you’re his true mate. . ._

_So it_ is _true. It wasn’t just Dean being a creep; he was never a creep. He was right all along._

_God, I’m an asshole. I need to apologize. I need to tell him that he was right._

Castiel closed his eyes, determined to go to sleep so he could heal faster. He needed to get out of this bed and to his Alpha as soon as possible. He needed to make this right.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A disclaimer: I have absolutely NO idea what I'm doing when it comes to medical stuff. The only time I've ever been in the hospital was when I had a concussion, and I don't remember any of that except the ice cream, which I was later told was actually Jell-O. ANYWAY, the point is, I don't know what I'm doing and it's probably very inaccurate. Sorry if that irks you. 
> 
> Feel free to tell me any way I can improve the accuracy, I will gladly do so. I was actually told earlier in the story that black coffee with cream is no longer black coffee (I'm a dipshit, I know. Just give me a second. XD), which I greatly appreciated. I changed the cream to sugar and that was that. Thank you, Arianllyn!
> 
> Alright, I'm done talking now. Give my like, sixty seconds to count on my fingers and figure out when the next chapter is going to be posted.
> 
> . . .
> 
> . . .
> 
> . . . Tuesday. :) I think.
> 
> I'll see you all on Tuesday for the grand finale!


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, beautiful, amazing people. How are you doing? ;)
> 
> I must confess, I really enjoyed this story. It was a short one, the shortest I've ever done (that isn't a one-shot), and I thoroughly loved everything, especially hearing from all of you. 
> 
> Here's the last part. ;)

**Five**

Dean blinked awake, groaning in pain. God, his head hurt. 

He tried to shift, check his clock to see why his alarm hadn’t gone off. Then his back exploded with pain and he remembered.

The fire. Castiel, collapsed on the ground. The box he’d been clutching. The loud crack. The ceiling caving in.

Dean groaned and looked around.

He was lying in a hospital bed, back supported by thick strips of plaster and metal. His legs were numb and his mouth felt dry and awful. He blinked around, trying to gain some inkling of what time it was and how long he’d been asleep.

“Mr. Winchester, you’re awake.”

Dean gazed blearily at the Alpha doctor standing off to the side, clipboard in hand and a worried expression on her face. He opened his mouth to ask where he was, but all that came out was, “Omega.”

The doctor relaxed a little. “Your Omega is safe, Mr. Winchester. He’s currently resting in his room.”

“Room?” Dean rasped. “Here? What happened?”

“He’s just recovering from smoke inhalation and some minor burns, Mr. Winchester. Nothing too severe. He’ll be right as rain in a week or so,” the doctor soothed. She pulled up a chair near his bed, eyes flicking over the machines that were beeping on the wall. “How are you feeling?”

“Like shit,” Dean replied, feeling grumpy and on edge. He needed to see his Omega. “Need to see Cas.”

“Mr. Novak?”

“Yes. Can I go see him?” Dean asked.

The doctor sighed. “No, sir, you can’t. You’re lucky to be alive. Do you remember what happened?”

Dean frowned, blinking a little as he tried to remember. “The ceiling,” he said. “Ceiling fell in. And. . . Cas’s box. Shit, the box.”

“The box with Mr. Novak’s funds is unharmed, if a little sooty,” the doctor told Dean. 

Dean relaxed immediately, the tension flowing from his body. He was still tense, but some of the stress disappeared from the hard line of his shoulders. “Can I see Castiel now?”

“No, Mr. Winchester, but if it’s so important to you, I can see if he’s awake right now. If he’s asleep, you’ll have to wait until he wakes up,” the doctor said, sounding like she’d had this conversation before a million times. “He’s been asking for you too.”

“He has?” Dean asked, surprised. Why would Castiel want to see him?

God, the last time he’d actually seen the Omega, he’d been running out of his bakery after embarrassing himself with asking Castiel out to dinner. Jesus, he was a mess. And then he’d heard that there was a fire at the The Seraph bakery and he’d panicked. . .

But Castiel was alright. He was safe. That was what mattered. And if he didn’t want anything to do with Dean. . . At least Dean had managed to save his precious box.

Feeling less tense now that he knew he could see his Omega, Dean watched as the Alpha doctor left the room, presumably to check on Castiel. And if the Omega was asleep, that was fine. Dean would wait until he woke up and then he’d apologize for acting so strange.

He fiddled with the thin blanket that the hospital had spread over him, experimentally shifting around. His back was a no-go. It felt like someone had driven nails into his spine and twisted them, leaving arcs of fiery agony to shoot up his back whenever he even tensed the muscles. His shoulder ached too, and his limbs felt thick and heavy. But still, he was alive, and Castiel was safe. That was all that mattered.

Dean wished he had a mirror so he could see himself, maybe arrange his hair to look more presentable. He still couldn’t fight the feeling that he needed to look good for his mate, even if he could barely move and he was strapped to a hospital bed.

Dean absentmindedly lifted his left wrist to check the date, then realized they’d taken his watch. Hell, he didn’t know if it had even made it out of the fire. He had no idea what day it was, how much time had passed.

Dean was just beginning to wonder if he’d been abandoned when the door creaked open. He looked up, expecting to see the female doctor, but found himself frozen instead.

Castiel stood in the doorway, looking at him with an unreadable expression on his face. His dark hair was tousled and he looked pale.

Dean suddenly wished he wasn’t strapped to this damn bed. He wished he could climb out of it and cross the room and pull his Omega into a hug. God, it felt good to realize that Castiel was okay.

“Cas?” he croaked, voice choked and horribly raspy. He winced at the sound of it, how pathetic it was.

Castiel moved, coming into the room. He smelled delightful, of honey and baking bread, and Dean’s Alpha was soothed by the scent.

“Cas, I-“

“Shh, Alpha, it’s okay,” Castiel murmured, and Dean felt like the world had dropped out from underneath him. The dizzy feeling intensified as Castiel sat down in the chair the Alpha doctor had been sitting in a few moments before and dropped his head onto Dean’s collarbone, nuzzling gently.

Dean blinked, vision suddenly blurry.

_Alpha. He called me Alpha._

“Cas?” he asked again, staring down at the dark-haired Omega with wonder and hope in his eyes. “O-Omega?”

Castiel smiled gently and nuzzled at Dean’s collarbone some more, the movement so gentle and sweet that Dean wanted to cry. He responded by tilting his neck and rubbing his cheek against the top of the Omega’s head. It made his spine ache and his burns pull, but he didn’t care. It felt amazing. His Omega, his _mate_. . . He was right here, right where he belonged.

“I’m sorry it took so long,” Castiel murmured against his skin, resting his head on Dean’s collarbone. The Omega’s head was heavy, but Dean took comfort in the weight of it. He closed his eyes and inhaled the scent of Castiel, unhindered by chemical scent blockers.

“It’s okay, Omega,” he replied. “However long you needed.”

“No,” Castiel said, shaking his head a little. He sounded adamant and more than a little upset. “You waited for me and you kept coming. I was so _mean_ , and you could have died-“

“But I didn’t,” Dean assured quietly. “It’s okay, Omega. You’re okay. We both are.”

It was true. That fact soothed something deep inside of Dean, made him loose and relaxed. He emitted calming pheromones, trying to soothe his Omega.

Castiel stayed quiet for a moment, the tension still not draining from him. Dean frowned a little. “Do you have something to say, Cas? It’s okay, I won’t be mad.”

Castiel didn’t say anything for a moment, then sighed shakily. “I don’t. . . I don’t want to give up the bakery. They said that my insurance will cover the damages and that I’ll get a new spot on the other side of the building complex, but I know that Omegas shouldn’t own businesses, and I really-“

“Shh,” Dean murmured. “Take a breath, Cas.”

Castiel obeyed, inhaling and exhaling as slowly as he could. When he finished, he looked up at Dean and caught him staring.

His Alpha was looking down at him with a small smile on his face. 

“What were you saying?” he prompted.

“I don’t want to give up the bakery,” Castiel replied.

“Why would you do that?”

“I know Alphas don’t like Omegas owning-“

“Cas, when have I ever said that? I eat at your bakery almost every day,” Dean said. Castiel flushed a little, wincing at the stupidity of what he’d just said.

“I know, I just. . . I just had to make sure, I guess,” Castiel murmured.

Dean chuckled a little, wincing when it pulled on his injuries.

“Actually, I wanted to ask you about that. I’ll talk to my fire chief and the doctors, but I think my career as a fireman is done,” Dean said. It was true. He’d realized it in the past few minutes, realized that even if he got past the excruciating pain in his back, it would take months before it healed fully. He couldn’t afford to take a little break.

Castiel pulled away a little, smelling guilty and ashamed. “I’m sorry, Dean-“

“Don’t apologize, Cas. That fire wasn’t your fault,” Dean replied. He smiled gently. “Besides, I was planning on quitting anyway.”

“Really?” Castiel asked incredulously.

“Yeah,” Dean said, smiling a little. It was a shy smile. “I was thinking that maybe you could teach me how to make coffee, maybe how to bake bread. I could help you with the bakery, if you wanted. Of course, that’s only if-“

“Yes,” Castiel breathed, smiling at the Alpha. “Yes. Yes. Yes.”

Dean laughed again, then winced a little in pain. God, his lower back hurt. “Great. I saved the box that you had, and-“

“You did? I thought that was lost!” Castiel cried, sitting up suddenly.

Dean snorted. “That’s why I was still in the kitchen. Benny took you out to the medics and I realized that you’d been clinging to that thing pretty tightly. I’d just thrown it to Jo when the roof collapsed.”

Castiel couldn’t even feel guilty, the shame drowned out by a wave of happiness. “Oh my God, Dean, do you know what’s in there?”

“Money?” Dean hedged, remembering what the doctor had said.

“Money,” Castiel agreed, beaming at Dean. His brilliant, brave, amazing Alpha. “Money from tips. Savings. Five years of savings. I was going to cash them in that day when the fire started. And you saved them. Dean, we can do so many things with that, don’t you see? We can get more inventory! We can expand the restaurant and put in new chairs and tables and. . .”

He rambled on, and Dean was happy to listen to him. He could listen to Castiel talk forever.

After a while, the Omega lapsed into contemplative silence. Dean just smiled at him, marveling at the beauty of his soon-to-be mate. Castiel was amazing. His blue eyes were so bright, his smile so warm and welcoming. Dean couldn’t begin to describe the feeling that had run through him when his Omega had first fixed him with one of those smiles of his. The special ones. The ones that made Dean feel like everything was right in the world.

A small memory came back and Dean frowned a little, scent darkening just a tad.

“I’m sorry for how I acted earlier. You never said anything about dinner,” he said quietly.

“You ran away before I could,” Castiel pointed out.

Dean flushed with embarrassment and shame. He’d been so stupid. And maybe if he had actually had the balls to stick around and get rejected, Castiel would have been at a restaurant with him when the fire started and he wouldn’t have gotten hurt-

A soft purring noise broke through his thoughts and Dean fucking melted. His Omega was purring softly, reassuring him that he was okay. Dean swallowed thickly and rubbed his cheek as best he could on the top of Castiel’s head.

“Well,” he said, voice broken and more than a little shaky. “Would you like to go to dinner with me?”

“Yes,” Castiel replied, his purring stopped for a moment. Dean looked down and found his Omega beaming at him. “Yes, I would.”

Dean grinned at him, overcome with a wave of happiness. He wished he could get up and grab his Omega, lift him in the air and twirl him around.

He couldn’t. He had no idea how much he could actually lift with how bad the doctors said his back was, and he still had months of physical therapy ahead of him.

That thought sobered him a little. He still had to really come to terms with the idea of not being a fireman anymore. Firefighting had been the one good thing he’d done in life, save for maybe making sure Sammy became a lawyer. His little brother had graduated law school last year, and had already been accepted into one of the top law firms in the country.

Fire fighting had been the only other thing that had felt _right_. He had run from John with Sammy when he turned eighteen and never looked back, and that had been that. And now firefighting was done.

But. . . But he had a whole new future ahead of him. He was only thirty, after all. He had a whole life ahead of him. He was ready for the next chapter.

And if that chapter was with this beautiful Omega right here. . .

Dean couldn’t wait.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> That's it! The end. Our boys are happy. :)
> 
> There will be more. I already have a one-shot addition to this that I'll release sometime soon. I'm also working on another story, plus the really big one that should be coming out mid-July.
> 
> I wanted to thank all of you for reading and for being so supportive. Thank you for kicking my ass to post and pointing out places that needed improvement. Thank you for making sure I remembered to tie in EVERY part of the story (for example: the box XD) and thank you for all the kudos and comments (is it kudos? Kudos's? Kudoses? I have no idea.)
> 
> Honestly, I'd just like to thank you for being amazing. You're all incredible. See you sometime soon! ;)
> 
> ~Faster_Than_the_Speed_of_Sound


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